Ship construction



July 8,1947. P, L w 2,423,670

SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed March 5, 1945 I INVENTOR.

LBIXIIILEY P. LLIINSLIIILIJv HTTY.

Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIP CONSTRUCTION Wiley Porter Winslow, Richmond, Calif.

Application March 5, 1945, Serial No. 581,030

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in hull construction, and has particular reference to means to provide for contraction and expansion between the various plates forming the hull shell and deck structure, as well as the ribs to which the plates are secured.

The principal object of this invention is to provide both longitudinal and vertical stress relieving means at spaced intervals.

A further object is to provide stress relieving Fig. II is a side elevation of a hull on a reduced scale showing the general positioning of my invention.

Fig. III is an enlarged fragmentary cross-seational view of my invention as applied to the deck plates.

Fig. IV is a similar view of the side plates of a hull having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. V is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of one of the frame members.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of a frame and the attached plates.

The present day steel hull of a ship is constructed by forming ribs or frames in longitudinal alignment and having a contour which is the cross-section of the hull. To these frames are attached a series of plates running from bow to stem, the plates abutting each other and being welded one to the other and also to the frame members.

The act of welding the plates one to the other sets up stresses, due to the terrific heat incident to welding, which causes expansion of the metal adjacent the weld. As the metal cools the stress caused by the shrinking is locked into the plates. These stresses are built up as the hull takes shape and they may result in causing buckling, which throws the ship out of alignment and causes faulty steering. Further, when a ship encounters heavy weather or extreme temperature changes as, for instance, passing into arctic waters, the building stresses plus these temperature stresses caused by contraction may result in the cracking of the plates with almost explosive force, and it has been found from past experiences that such cracks have been the cause of the ship losing a bow section or breaking in half as well as causing a crack in the stern. As a consequence, considerable loss of life, as well as the loss of the ship, may result.

I have, therefore, devised a hull construction wherein the stresses may be relieved through th specific shape of the plate adjacent what may be termed expansion joints.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the hull of a shi as a whole, which hull comprises a plurality of frames 6, one of which is shown in Fig. I. To these frames are attached plates 1, either by riveting or by welding. Deck frames are shown at l, to which deck-plates 8 are attached. The construction thus far is common to all hulls.

My invention consists in providing a series of vertically arranged expansion joints, as shown at 9, II, I! and I3, and horizontal expansion joints, as shown at [4 and I6, it, of course, being understood that there may be any desired number of joints formed as conditions may require.

My expansion joint consists in either bending the adjacent edges of two adjoining plates, as

shown at I1 and la, in Fig. IV, and then welding the same, as shown at l9, or a curved expansion joint may be formed by rolling the same into the plate, as shown at 2|, in Fig. III, it being immaterial which way the joint is formed.

If it is desired to form a smooth surface as, for instance, on a deck, a plate 22 may be secured across the joint, the same being welded along one edge and free at the other. Such a plate is also shown at 23 in Fig. IV. These plates, however, are not necessary for the functioning of my invention.

In Fig. V I have shown a rib wherein the web is provided with a circular expansion portion 24, and the plate with a curved expansion portion 25.

In Fig. VI I have shown a modified rib as the same would appear attached to the adjacent plates abutting the same and each other.

It will thus be seen that by providing these expansion joints, when difierences in temperatures occur, the curved portion of the joint will tend to straighten out, thus relieving the excessive strain on the joint or the plates.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and. arrangement of parts may be re- REFERENCES CITED sorted to Without departing from the Spirit of The following references are of record in the the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim. 5 fil f this patent;

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

j A hull construction consisting of a plurality of UNITED STATES PATENTS frames having expansion joints formed therein Number Name Date and a plurality of plates securedrto said frames, 2,245,579 Ewertz June 24 1941 Said platesv b g r e t0 ormen B Pfl l On 1,899,755 Grigis Feb. 28, 1933 joint at'their abutting edges 'said joints" coincid- 10 1,305,669 Liamin May 19, 1931 ing with the expansion joints in said frames.

WILEY PORTER WINSLOW. I 

